Boat would cost between $250,000-$275,000

The New Richmond Village Council heard a recommendation from Fire Chief Mark Baird Dec. 14 that the village apply for a grant to buy a new fire rescue boat.

Baird said that they had an application in the process last year but decided to cancel the bid when it became apparent that the village would have to come up with more than the expected matching money to buy the boat.

This year, he said, the village would be able to get the boat. Baird described New Richmond as an attractive applicant because the village already has a solid hull boat, a boat ramp and employees with experience.

Baird said, “We have always helped the US Coast Guard with their patrols during the WEBN fireworks and in the past we helped with ‘Tall Stacks’ which comes around every four or five years. We are a player in the region because we already have a regional asset in the area. We have a trailer and it’s already been proven that we are capable of sustaining and delivering that when it’s needed elsewhere. We’re trusted.”

Baird reported that the boat would cost between $250,000 and $275,000.

“It’s a boat that we could easily trailer, one that two or three people could easily handle and launch,” Baird said.

“It would be very nice to have this boat but my question is: ‘How would this boat benefit our local village people?'” councilman Nicholas Wolf asked.

Baird said that the boat is primarily a search and rescue boat with a fire pump and it would not be called out to other communities except in mutual aid situations.

“We have a lot of water assets, including at least one part of Beckjord Power Plant,” he said.

Baird said that the village already carries out search and rescue for boaters and also that the fire pump on the boat would help with fires at the marina or main business district during floods.

Councilman Rick Hilt recalled a fire in his neighborhood that took place during the flood in 1997.

“My neighbor’s house burned down,” he said. “The fire truck got back as far as it could but it wasn’t enough. The two boats from Covington took too long to get there.”

Hilt, who lives near the river, said that a fire boat might have saved his neighbor’s house.

“Anything that you or Chief Harvey bring up, I just don’t want to say no. Public safety is important,” councilman Rich Mathews said. “What’s crossing my mind is, ‘What happens next year if we decide to put in a (tax levy) renewal? What are citizens going to say when we approved applying for a $250,000 boat even if that money doesn’t come from us?'”

Council members asked about the costs of housing the boat.

Baird addressed the board’s concerns. He said that the fire department would soon need a new storage building for the equipment that the department is required to keep close at hand. The boat could be housed in that storage building, he said.

Baird told council that the village would have time to solve the storage issue because it would take several years to receive the boat. “Covington was awarded a 2007 grant and are only now receiving the boat,” he said.

Councilman Vinnie Cochran remarked that it was difficult to weigh the costs and the benefits when it came to public safety.

Hilt replied, “My house almost burned down. We were lucky that we had a hose running at the time. If that fire had been anywhere else where there were denser houses, we could have lost a lot. That’s what a fire truck is – you don’t use it every day but when you need it, you need it.”

Council decided to delay the vote on the fire boat until later.